New rubber for an old friend

[Farmwithjunk]

My '71 MF150 was originally equipped with 13.6X28" GoodYears. About 20 years ago, it needed new rubber, so I decided to go with 14.9X28 Armstrongs. They were good tires, but I never really did like a couple things about them. 1. 14.9's are 2-1/2" taller than 13.6's. That made the tractor sit high in the rear end. It also put 3-point mounted equipment just a tad closer to the tires than I liked. One particular Woods 6' mower I owned actually hit the tires when the hitch was raised. #2 dislike? These tires were so stiff, you could let the air pressure down to 3 or 4 psi before there was any significant sidewall flex. The rode like that proverbial "log wagon".

So the time came for new rubber. I was going with Firestone Field & Road, 13.6X28, 6 ply. A local tire dealer made me a very sweet price. But one of the tires he had in stock was defective.

Then I spotted a set of 13.6X28 Titans in his warehouse. Armstrong bought GoodYear's AG division. They changed the name of Armstrong to Titan. And just so happens, I have a set of Titans on my Ford 3000. They've been good tires, so that's the route I went. I like the looks of "long bar/short bar" tread.

Picked 'em up friday. I spent most of the day saturday wrestling old tires off and new ones on. It was after 7PM saturday night when I finally finished pumping the fluid back in the new ones.

Note to self; 60 year old men have NO BUSINESS pounding on tractor tires with a tire hammer and tire irons. A bead breaker is now on order before the NEXT tractor needs tires.

 

[Manitou]

The tires look great and the Massey is a beauty! It's kind of good that we 60 year old men still think we're 40....now let's start looking for the SMART way! Garry

 

[Bob_Young]

Nuts! Ya mean we're supposed to be changing those things ourselves?

Rummaging around the pole barn last month I came up with 3 unused 13.6x28s that my good ol' Dad bought for the Ford 2000 years ago. No two are exactly the same, but they're good enough for a working tractor. They're kinda dirty but, no rot. Good thing, cause the old girl needs a set. I'll call it old rubber for an old friend.

Planned to let the NH/Kubota dealer do it. Now I find that "real men" change their own tires. Wonder how much cussing that's gonna take?

One "good" thing, I won't have to pull the old tires off the old rims. Thanks to rim rot, I've gotta find some new ones.

That's one sweet Massey, Junk. There's a lotta work and a lotta love in that thing. Do you ever work her anymore, or does she just sit around lookin' purty?
Bob

 

[MikeD74T]

That's hardly the tractor I expected to see owned by a fellow that claims to "farmwithjunk". Very nice indeed. MikeD74T

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Nuts! Ya mean we're supposed to be changing those things ourselves?

Rummaging around the pole barn last month I came up with 3 unused 13.6x28s that my good ol' Dad bought for the Ford 2000 years ago. No two are exactly the same, but they're good enough for a working tractor. They're kinda dirty but, no rot. Good thing, cause the old girl needs a set. I'll call it old rubber for an old friend.

Planned to let the NH/Kubota dealer do it. Now I find that "real men" change their own tires. Wonder how much cussing that's gonna take?

One "good" thing, I won't have to pull the old tires off the old rims. Thanks to rim rot, I've gotta find some new ones.

That's one sweet Massey, Junk. There's a lotta work and a lotta love in that thing. Do you ever work her anymore, or does she just sit around lookin' purty?
Bob

She works darn near every day. It was used quite a bit this past summer in my mowing business, as well as the fact that it's the only "working" tractor I have at my place now. Everything else is at my sons farm. I don't believe in owning a tractor that doesn't get some use.

 

[scott_vt]

Mornin Bill,
Looks like your good for another 35 years !

 

[EddieWalker]

I really like your tractor!!!!! She's just beautiful. Add her to that nicely mowed grass and you have a cover shot for a calender or magazine.

Thanks, I enjoyed your pics.

Eddie

 

[Farmwithjunk]

I really like your tractor!!!!! She's just beautiful. Add her to that nicely mowed grass and you have a cover shot for a calender or magazine.

Thanks, I enjoyed your pics.

Eddie

Thanks!

And for the record, that grass is cut with a Bush Hog 286 mower behind that same tractor. Who says you can't mow your lawn with a rough cut mower?

 

[rtdiggr]

Your tractor is cleaner than my new car.
Shane

 

[BTDT]

Couple of questions. Did you take rims off, and then put on new tires, or did you install them with rims on the tractor? Were the old tires good enough to save for later (an emergency), if not, rather than wrestle with them, I would have just cut them off? And ditto what everyone else has said about the looks of your Massey.